Daley blames media for some Police Department problems

July 17, 2008|By Hal Dardick, TRIBUNE REPORTER and Tribune reporters Angela Rozas and David Heinzmann contributed to this report.

Mayor Richard Daley blamed the media Wednesday when asked about police officers' concerns that City Hall won't back them up in the face of unfounded brutality complaints.

Police Supt. Jody Weis told aldermen Tuesday during a marathon hearing that some officers may be less aggressive in fighting surging street crime because they fear lawsuits and accusations of misconduct.

Weis said he told officers to be aggressive because the department will back them up as long as they follow the rules.

After an unrelated news conference Wednesday, reporters asked Daley what he would tell officers.

"Listen, the newspapers beat 'em up for about three weeks and then all of the sudden you want to praise them," Daley said.

"They are always afraid of beefs, because once you get a beef you write about it," he said, before using the police lingo for a complaint registered against officers, known as a CR.

"They have 25 CR numbers, all unfounded, and you say, 'Why? There must be a problem with this police officer.' Most of them are gangbangers and dope dealers that file charges or show up in court. You write about it. You beat them down pretty good."

Pressed on the issue, Daley said he's voiced support for police officers in the past.

"How many times have we stood up here?" he said. "You know that."

The mayor brought in Weis, the former head of the Philadelphia FBI office, to restore faith in a department that in recent years has been stung by a series of complaints of brutality and corruption.

Although videotapes of off-duty officers beating up people in bars grabbed the public's attention, it has been the scandal involving the disbanded Special Operations Section that prompted a federal investigation into whether police brass ignored a pattern of hundreds of similar complaints lodged against the officers for years.

Seven SOS officers were eventually charged with kidnapping and robbing people, and several other officers were stripped of their badges. The federal investigation continues.

Mark Donahue, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said the media, top police brass and city officials share responsibility for officers' morale problems and fears of suspension.

Donahue said the problem is "partially due to the fact of the media's constant attention on the bad actions of a few within the department" including repeated use of one infamous video recording showing an off-duty officer beating a female bartender.

"But that's not the only reason. There are times when the members feel they don't have the backing of the department, the city administration and the citizens as well, a large part of it is due to all the attention a few bad apples get," Donahue said.